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Stylus

Stylus

A stylus is a needle-like implement for writing, often used on wax tablets. The sharp end was used to write with, the blunt to rub out mistakes. This iron example comes from the site of the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire.

The plain stylus is made of iron, and is simpler and less common than bronze examples.

Brought to Scotland by the Romans, writing was a vital part of the bureaucracy generated by the army. The most common writing materials were wax and wooden tablets, inscribed with a stylus, and tablets of thin leaves of wood written with ink.